US3900310A - Process for suspension smelting of finely-divided oxide and/or sulfide ores and concentrates - Google Patents

Process for suspension smelting of finely-divided oxide and/or sulfide ores and concentrates Download PDF

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US3900310A
US3900310A US289635A US28963572A US3900310A US 3900310 A US3900310 A US 3900310A US 289635 A US289635 A US 289635A US 28963572 A US28963572 A US 28963572A US 3900310 A US3900310 A US 3900310A
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suspension
smelt
zone
flow
reaction
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Kauko Johannes Kaasila
Toivo Adrian Toivanen
Seppo Untamo Harkki
Toivo Isak Neimela
Simo A Makipirtti
Rolf E Malmstrom
Tapio Kalevi Tuominen
Olavi August Aaltonen
Veikko H Noponen
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Outokumpu Oyj
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B5/00—General methods of reducing to metals
    • C22B5/02—Dry methods smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes
    • C22B5/08—Dry methods smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes by sulfides; Roasting reaction methods
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B13/00—Obtaining lead
    • C22B13/06—Refining
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
    • C22B15/0026—Pyrometallurgy
    • C22B15/0028—Smelting or converting
    • C22B15/0047—Smelting or converting flash smelting or converting
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B19/00—Obtaining zinc or zinc oxide
    • C22B19/32—Refining zinc
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B23/00—Obtaining nickel or cobalt
    • C22B23/02—Obtaining nickel or cobalt by dry processes
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B23/00—Obtaining nickel or cobalt
    • C22B23/06—Refining
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B25/00—Obtaining tin
    • C22B25/08—Refining

Definitions

  • the suspension flow portion not impinging against the smelt surface in the main smelt reaction zone is fed into a secondary reaction zone wherein it is allowed to, at least, partially dissolve in the smelt before the undissolved residual suspension is fed into the rising-flow zone so as not to affect a smelt settling zone communicating with the main and secondary smelt reaction zones and in which slag is separated from matte and metal,
  • the invention relates to the field of suspensionsmelting of finely-divided oxide and sulfide ores and concentrates.
  • the feeding method has also been changed for the same reason so that the previous feeding along the walls over almost the entire length (6080%) of the furnace has been replaced by feeding within a zone in the middle part of the furnace usually consisting of less than 30% of the furnace length.
  • the amount of dust is still about 3% of the weight of the feed. It can be supposed that, especially in a linear reverberatory furnace type, even a great amount of dust suspended in the gas phase will not, in the form of a furnace sediment, cause considerable increase in the valuable metal content of the slag because the gas phase will carry the dust along when it moves over the feeding bed.
  • the valuable metal content and its increse in reverberatory furnace slag is thus mainly due to the flow phenomena caused by the system itself or by the feeding of additional materials for example, converter-slag feed.
  • additional materials for example, converter-slag feed for example, converter-slag feed.
  • the actual difficulties due to the dissolution of the suspension, dust sedimentation inside the furnace systems, and high amounts of flying dust are created when using actual suspension smelting systems.
  • Matte is produced in the process by suspension smelting of concentrate (a/57.65% Cu and 3.03% Ni, and b/6.95% Cu and 33.77% Ni) during the first operation period for example, 6 hours.
  • the slag phase (a/0l90% Cu and 0.15% Ni, and b/0.15% Cu and 0.60% Ni) remaining in the furnace is washed from the valuable metals by suspension smelting pyrrotite (a/l% Ni and b/ 1.25% Ni) during the second operation period for example, l2 hours and not until] then is disposable slag (a/0.35% Cu and 0.16% Ni, and b/0. 12% Cu and 0.30% Ni) obtained and, in addition, poor matte as a by product.
  • copper concentrate and additional fuel are injected with the help of compressed air (normal or rich in oxygen) inside smelted ore at a high temperature, at which time the partially oxidized concentrate is arrested in the smelt and smelts forming matte and slag.
  • compressed air normally or rich in oxygen
  • the additional fuel ought to burn in the smelted material, supplementing the amount of heat required for smelting the ore and, thus, the smelt should always remain at a constant temperature.
  • the copper contents of the mattes are 40.5%, 66.9% and 39.4%, and the copper and sulfur contents of die respective slags 0.33%, 0.52% and 0.35% Cu and 0.20%, 0.23% and 0.26% S.
  • the known balances between the matte and the slag do not materialize with the contents given, especially in regard to sulfur.
  • the obtained result deviates especially from results obtained from reverberatory and flash smelting furnaces.
  • the copper contents of slags obtained by vertical suspension smelting to the values given above, it can be noted that when the burning of iron is only about 28%, the concentrate and matte contents being 27.8% and about 40% Cu, the values given are by no means rare. It does not give the ferric iron and magnetite contents of the slags so that a comparison with the flash smelting process is without foundation.
  • materials containing sulfides are roasted or roasted and smelted, and the sulfur content of these materials is recovered preferably in the elemental form or in the form of gases with high S0 contents.
  • the roasting is accomplished by dispersing a finely-grained sulfidic material into an oxidizing gas flow which consists of oxygen or oxygen-rich air. After the roasting the material is recovered either in a solid state or in the form of a molten bath.
  • the amount of free oxygen in the oxidizing gas can be regulated so that the free oxygen is used up by oxidizing only part of the sulfur content of the sulfidic material into S0
  • the temperature is raised so high that the sulfide smelts in suspension.
  • the iron sulfides have been meant to react to a considerable degree with S0 to form iron oxide and free sulfur as soon as the oxygen has been used in the formation of S0
  • the processes take place in a vertical reaction tower, in which case the following processes, among others, can be used:
  • Cocurrent process A sulfidic material and an oxidizing gas are fed downwards and the product is separated from the gases with the help of a small gas volume and low flowing velocities.
  • the sulfidic material and the oxidizing gas are fed upwards and the velocity is adjusted so that as great a part as possible of the product is carried upward by the gas flow and separated after the tower by known methods. In this case, rough granules will fall countercurrently to the bottom of the tower and are reoxidized when needed.
  • Countercurrent process An oxidizing gas flow is fed upwards and the material to be roasted, downwards.
  • the process is particularly suitable for sulfidic material in which the amount of extremely fine particles is not too great.
  • the unloading of the suspension in the process is thus mainly based on the high density of the suspension and very low gas velocities, in which case the settling circumstances mainly determined by the principle of Stokes are obviously achieved especially when using relatively rough particle size distributions.
  • Valuable metals Cu, Ni, and Pb are separated from the suspension either as a metal smelt (Cu, Pb), a sulfide smelt, or a powder; in the latter case other known separation processes (crushing, grinding, foaming, magnet separation, chlorination, etc.) are used for the refinement and metal separation.
  • the object of the present invention is to create a process and apparatus for the suspension smelting of very finely-divided oxide and/or sulfide concentrates by the flash smelting process into sulfide mattes with high or low valuable metal contents, the respective slags being very poor in valuable metals.
  • the process thus also allows for economical processing of finely-divided concentrates by the suspension process, and the main characteristics of the invention are that the remaining suspension flow passing the main reaction zone is fed into the secondary reaction zone for its at least partial dissolution in the smelt before essentially all undissolved remaining suspension is fed into the rising-flow zone in order to prevent the remaining suspension from affecting the smelt settling zone which is communicating at least through the smelt with the main and secondary smelt reaction zones and in which slag is separated from the matte and metal.
  • the residual suspension flow passing the main smelt reaction zone is fed into a secondary reaction zone for its at least partial dissolution in the smelt before essentially all undissolved suspension is fed into the rising-flow zone in order to prevent the remaining suspension from affecting a smelt settling zone which is communicating at least through the smelt with the main and secondary smelt reaction zones and in which slag is separated from the matte and metal.
  • the process according to the invention can be applied to all pure or mixed concentrates containing Cu, Ni, Co, Zn, Pb, Sn, etc.
  • the smelting system allows for the use of flotation sulfide concentrates with a wide particle size distribution and a very fine average particle size for example, concentrates obtained from complex and enclosed ores and separated by grinding which has not been possible by modifications of the suspension process so far. It is now also possible to use corresponding finely-divided, large-surfaces oxide ores and concentrates containing the said valuable metals, especially if the recently developed techniques of selective suspension sulfidizing are used simultaneously in the process.
  • FIG. 1 shows a cross section as seen from the side of a conventional suspension smelting furnace
  • FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate modifications made to the basic furnace of FIG. 1,
  • FIGS. 2 4 show graphically the results of sedimentation measurements, FIG. 2 showing the total sedimentation (La-2) as a function of the suspension density (a in the lower furnace,
  • FIG. 3 showing the sediment falling in the zone under the reaction shaft (La-RK) as a function of the suspen sion density
  • FIG. 4 showing the sediment falling in the other zones of the lower furnace (La-Se) as a function of the suspension density
  • FIG. 5 shows the general outline of the smelting installation used in the experiments
  • FIG. 6 shows a top view of a suspension smelting furnace according to the invention
  • FIG. 7 shows a section along line C--C in FIG. 9,
  • FIG. 8 shows the copper and sulfur contents of the slag as functions of its magnetic content
  • FIG. 9 shows graphically the dependence of the reaction velocity constant on the magnetite amount in the shaft product which is in the process of reduction
  • FIG. 10 shows graphically the sedimentation and flying dust rates as functions of the suspension density (a and FIG. 11 shows the stability ranges of the (Fe, Ni, Cu) S-OSiO systems as functions of the sulfur and oxygen materials in the gas phase.
  • the shaft product suspension produced from concentrate unloads under the reaction shaft when the gas flow changes its direction. At this time the bulk of the shaft product the solid and liquid phases is separated from the gas phase and settles in the main reaction zone under the shaft.
  • Most of the magnetite formed as a product of burning reacts in this main reaction zone with the iron sulfide of the shaft product forming wustite (FeO) which becomes bound to silica, thereby forming a slag from which the valuable metal sulfide smelt, which is poorly soluble in it, is separated as its own phase matte.
  • the reduction reactions can be only approximately described iron oxides being taken here as stoichiometric with the following equations:
  • reaction velocity of the magnetite of the main reaction zone can be described by the following equation on the basis of an empirical process simulation:
  • the reaction velocity between the solid and smelted phases is dependent on the contact area of the phases and thereby also on their particle size.
  • a growing particle size slows down the reduction reactions (the contact surface diminishes, the diffusion distances of oxygen and sulphur grow), and on the other hand the sedimentation rate of the matte through the forming silicate melt grows as a func tion of the square of the particle size (the sedimentation rate determined by the principle of Stokes in the limited sense), at which tie the reduction rate also decreases when the contact possibilities decrease.
  • the contact possibilities between the oxide and sulfide particles are good so that the magnetite reduction occurs under advantageous conditions. Because the amount of sediment corresponding to rough concentrate is small, the valuable metal and secondary magnetite contents of the obtained slag phase are low and the growth of these contents is insignificant when proceeding from iron-rich to iron-poor matte.
  • a suspension containing finelydivided products of burning will not dissolve as easily when its direction is changed.
  • the amount of product which settles in the main reaction zone under the shaft is much smaller than with a rough product of burning under equal conditions and, respectively, the amount of lower furnace sediment is great and quite evenly distributed on the slag surface in the lower furnace.
  • a finely-divided product of burning usually has a wide particle size dis- 1 tribution and, consequently, the particle size distribution of the lower furnace sediment is similar and, in addition, strongly classified as a function of the different densities and particle sizes of the sulfides and solids. Owing to its fine particle size, the lower furnace sediment contains a great deal of overoxidized product and, respectively, less sulfide phase than usual.
  • the surface area grows significantly when the particle size decreases, the actual reduction rate of magnetite decreases because, owing partially to the classification (sulfide and oxide phases in different places, etc.) and partially to overoxidation, the kinetic activities of oxygen and sulfur become disadvantageous either quanti- .tatively or otherwise.
  • the sulfides do not sediment at a rate high enough in the slag layer. The said behavior of the sediment results in a rapid increase in the valuable metal content of the slag and an increase in the secondary magnetite amount, which are both independent of each other.
  • the suspension to be processed by flash smelting and containing the feed concentrate and additives is subjected in the system to very many different physical and chemical influences and changes, such as a great change in volume due to the heating of the suspension in the reaction shaft and the corresponding change of velocity; the phase and state inversions of suspended particles due to oxidation reactions and respective changes in the physical and chemical properties of the gas phase; changes and disturbances in the flow due to rapid changes in the direction of the suspension and the geometry of the structure after the reaction shaft; very great changes in the concentration and density of the suspension due to the sedimentation of suspended material, etc. For the above reasons, it is very difficult to estimate the behavior of the suspension.
  • FIGS. 1, 1A and 1B show a side view of the furnace system involved.
  • the starting point is furnace structure A, known as such.
  • the other structures, B and C deviate from it in that, while the reaction shaft is the same in all the cases, in case B FIG. 1A the lower furnace has been length ened and the rising shaft has respectively been moved to position B.
  • structure C FIG. 1B the lower furnace is the same as in case A, but the rising shaft has been moved to position C.
  • experiments were undertaken with a structure in which the end part of the furnace consisting of the rising shaft was turned to a position perpendicular to the rest of the installation, the area of the second part of the lower furnace corresponding to that in case B.
  • the width of the lower furnace was the same in each structure. Furthermore, it was possible to decrease the normal cross section area of the gas space of the lower furnace by 50%.
  • the lower furnace For examination of the sedimentation of the suspension, the lower furnace has been divided into zones I, II, III, and IV according to FIG. 1A.
  • zone I In a furnace structure in which rising shaft C has been installed in the immediate vicinity of the reaction shaft, zone I can be called the main reaction zone, -zone II the secondary reaction zone, and zone III the settling zone. Furnace C thus deviates from furnace A among other things in that zone IIIII has been divided into two zones, II and III, and that the rising shaft has been installed in the immediate vicinity of the reaction shaft in order to minimize the area of zone II.
  • the sedimentation experiments were carried out with concentrates with a particle size of 90%l-400 mesh (surface area 12 000 cm /cm). Some experiments were carried out with generally used concentrates with a particle size between values %/--400 mesh and lO0%/65 mesh (surface area 2500 cm lcm The following symbols are used in examination of the sedimentation:
  • Sedimentation rate of the other zones of the lower furnace (or case A: zones II III, case C: zone II, and cases B and D: zones II III IC):LaSe, g/s.m
  • FIG. 3 Flowing velocity of the suspension in the nozzle of the concentrate disperser: v,, m/s Suspension density in the reaction shaft after sulfide burning is d and after the sedimentation, LaRK, d density: d, kg/Nm Results of the suspension rate measurements under the circumstances described above 1 shown in FIGS. 2-4.
  • the total sedimentation rate, La-Z. is afunction of the lower furnace suspension density, d,, in the cases studied.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates the sedimentation rate, La RK, in zone I below the reaction shaft.
  • the dependence of the density of the suspension, d after the sedimentation, LaRK, on the postburning suspension density, 41, is linear.
  • the function is of the form d q (d,idi), in which coefficient q is a function of the flowing velocity of the suspension, v,.
  • the obtained sedimentation and density functions are functions of different degrees of the particle size distribution of the suspension, especially with different velocity values.
  • the density functions do not run through value zero-zero value di in the differences which proves among other things that with different velocities and determined by the velocities, the suspensions contain different amouunts of finely-divided particle classes of different size which cannot sediment at all under the conditions used.
  • the shaft product settling in Zones following zone I, La-Se is no longer a linear function of suspension density d of density d,.
  • d the result is still approximately analogous to that indicated in FIG. 3, but when the number of zones is increased, the result corresponds to data of FIG. 4.
  • the lowering of the density of each suspension as a function of the increase in the area is initially almost linear, but later deviating when the change in density slows down.
  • a rise in the limit values of the suspension particle size distribution has a very strong increasing effect on sedimentation rates LaZ and La-RK FIG. 3.
  • the lower furnace sedimentation rate also becomes much lower so that the amount of product falling in zone II is great i of product amount Isa-Se), the other zones containing only little or no sediment.
  • a strong lowering of the flying dust rates occurred when the particle size increased.
  • the determination of the particle size of the sediment samples as a function of the density of the suspension was carried out by measuring the surface area of the samples. The change in surface area as a function of the respective suspension density was of the same form in the cases observed. When the suspension density decreases, only a slight increase occurs in the surface area of the sediment samples of the first two zones.
  • furnace structure C the turning point of the surface area function with a high initial suspension density value is situated at a higher density value than that with a low initial value, that is, the efficiency of gas classification increases when the suspension density decreases.
  • furnace structure B the above turning point is situated at suspension density values considerably lower than the previous ones.
  • structure A the turning point is between the two previous ones.
  • the furnace sedimentation which causes slag problems must be minimized by decreasing the sedimentation area and thereby the delay and by allowing, when necessary, a moderate increase in comparison with the use of rough concentrate in the amount of flying dust (the total flying dust amount can be diminished by pelleting or agglomerating the return dust).
  • the cross section area of the lower furnace gas space must be optimized to correspond to the highest allowed lower furnace sedimentation rate a function of, among other things, classification of the product of burning.
  • the diameter of the rising shaft can be regulated so that the suspension velocities are above the critical conveying velocity, in which case the countercurrent sedimentation of material is small and the danger of growth formation is low.
  • the absolute value ratio between the flowing velocity of the suspension immediately after the concentrate disperser nozzle and the absolute value of the flowing velocity of the suspension in the reaction shaft varies between the limits -100 in different cases.
  • a 55 kW intermediate-frequency furnace was used in the intermediary product and other trial smeltings. Heat transmission in the examples in question was obtained by indirect graphite muffel heating.
  • the feeding and control apparatuses of the furnaces were conventional.
  • the suspension was usually produced with one concentrate burner.
  • the pre-heating degree of the air used for burning the concentrate was 430 i 20C.
  • the matte, slag, and gas phase samples were studied by conventional methods.
  • the shaft product samples corresponding to the examples were taken just above the smelt surface in the direction of the center line of the shaft with an efficiently cooled multisection sample taking device.
  • the feeding, smelting, and matte-slag separation were carried out as precisely as possible in the manner they take place in an actual furnace unit that is, the re-smelting effects were minimized.
  • the analyses of the samples and products were made by conventional methods.
  • the determination of ferric iron in the shaft product and the slag phase was made from the oxide phase from which the sulfides had been separated by the bromine-methanol separation process.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 A vertical furnace structure provided with a shortened lower furnace secondary reaction zone according to the invention is illustratedin FIGS. 6 and 7.
  • number 1 refers to the concentrate burner, 2 to the reaction shaft, 3 to the lower furnace, 4 to the rising shaft, 5 to the residual heat vessel, 6 to the heat exchanger, 7 to the cold air flowing into the heat exchanger, 8 to the hot air flowing into the concentrate burner, 9 to ball sooting, 10 to the gas pipe leading to the electric precipitator', and 11 to the fuel for zone re duction.
  • the height of reaction shaft 2 of the vertical smelting furnace was 9.4 m, its diameter 3.8 m, and the cross section area of the shaft 1 1.64 m.
  • the height of rising shaft 4 was 9.0 m and its diameter 2.75 m.
  • the total area of lower furnace was 85.6 m
  • Example I-Vl the object was to use during the trials the same concentrate mixture (Examples l-III and V relate to the conventional furnace whereas Examples IV and VI relate to a furnace with a shortened lower furnace). It was prepared by mixing concentrates from different mines at a predetermined ratio if slight deviations occurred, the result was reduced in the examples for the sake of comparison.
  • the average analysis by weight was the following: 20.68 Cu; 33.60 Fe; 0.24 Ni; 0.29 Co; 2.43 Zn; 0.29 Pb; 33.96 S; 4.67 SiO 0.34 CaO; 1.05 MgO and 0.20 A1 0
  • the analysis of the sand added to the feed mixture was the following: 0.53 Fe; 89.21 SiO 0.27 CaO; 0.35 MgO; and 3.60 A1 0
  • Finely-divided concentrate was made from rough concentrate by additional grinding.
  • the composition of the return dust in the feed mixture varied greatly. Especially its oxygen analysis was very inexact numerically. Efforts were made to prevent sulfatizing of flying dusts by precise control of the amounts of leaking air and, when necessary, by a mild reducing burning.
  • Examples VIIX refinement of finely-divided 85%/400 mesh oxidic copper and nickel ores was carried out by the suspension or flash smelting process (Examples VII and IX relate to the conventional furnace whereas Examples VIII and X relate to a furnace with a shortened lower furnace).
  • the used nickel ore was a typical laterite ore containing nickel and chrome, its analysis being the following by weight:
  • the sulfidization reactions were very rapid owing to the small particle size of the ground ore. Because of the high density values of the suspension the zone limits (three zones) were sharp and, thus, the zone volumes small, and therefore the consumption of additional sulfur for the sulfidization of the gas phase was very low.
  • the reduction of the magnetite of the shaft product in the main reaction zone of lower furnace 3 was controlled by regulating the feeding rates so that the apparent reduction velocities corresponding to normal production were obtained, in other words, there was enough time for the magnetite reduction to take place to a certain degree.
  • the feed mixture and product rates of the experimental operations and the intermediary smeltings and their analyses, as well as the results of the most important observations, are given in Tables I and 2 and in FIGS. 2 and 3.
  • EXAMPLE III This example deviates from those above in that the flying dusts emerging from the system have not been fed back into the system together with the feed mixture. According to the result table, the results do not deviate from those of the previous experimental operation except in regard to the sedimentation and flying dust rates, which are smaller than in the previous ones.
  • the sedimentation rate in the lower furnace was 9.9% of the feed mixture (or about 1 1.4% of the shaft product, which corresponds to a lower furnace dust load of 7.49 g/s.m
  • the lowered dust rates are a consequence of the fact that finely-divided return dust is not contained in the feed partly it is also a consequence of the lowered Zn and Pb amounts in the feed mixture. Because the particle size of the lower furnace sediment was larger and its amount smaller than previously, the obtained low copper content in the slag was to be expected. Over 80% of the copper content of the sediment settled into the matte phase.
  • EXAMPLE IV This example deviates from the previous ones in that the gases and flying dusts are removed from the system by decreasing the area of the secondary reaction zone following the zone under reaction shaft 2 from 58 m to about m in which case the area obtained for the settling zone following rising shaft 4 is 38 m
  • the lower furnace sedimentation rate has decreased considerably, from 13.2% to 4.2%.
  • the obtained sedimentation rate corresponds to about 4.7% of the shaft product, or a dust load of 14.61 g/s.m
  • the flying dust rate has risen from 16.0% to 18.4% of the feed mixture, which can be considered a relatively small rise.
  • the copper content of the slag has lowered considerably 0.51% in comparison with Example 11 1.78% Cu.
  • the ferric iron content in the shaft product falling directly under reaction shaft 2 is almost the same in each case, but the magnetite content in the slag has decreased from 15.9%, which is the value in Example 11, to 10.4%.
  • EXAMPLE V In the experimental operation according to this example, high-grade copper matte was produced by using finely-grained concentrate and a conventional furnace system. In order to eliminate reaction shaft wall effect in this and the following case, deviating from the previous ones, a lesshomogeneous suspension was used in concentrate burning and a content of 1% free oxygen was allowed in the combustion gases. It can be noted from the results in Table 2 that, in comparison with the production of low-grade matte, the sulfur content of the shaft product has decreased considerably. In this case, the overoxidation of the most finely-divided part of the concentrate mixture forming sediment and dusts is natural.
  • the obtained gas delay period value for the apparent reaction velocity constant of the lower furnace magnetite reduction is K 1.17 X 10' c s which is slightly higher than normal.
  • EXAMPLE VI This example deviates from the previous one in that the reaction gases and dusts were removed from the system in a manner corresponding to that in Example IV.
  • the reduction of the shaft suspension in zones was carried out by using three petroleum ether nozzles 11 (fitted below the middle of reaction shaft 2 symmetrically and at the same height) in order to increase the low amount of sulfide after the burning of the shaft product and to increase its activity.
  • the shaft product in the present case is almost of the same grade, and only slightly richer matte than previously is obtained when it is smelted. It is practically impossible to obtain a representative shaft sample after the zone reduction.
  • the average analysis obtained from the sediment samples of lower furnace 3 is quite inexact Table 2.
  • a probable shaft product 2 corresponding to the final products has been calculated from the final products and the said analysis.
  • Example V 14% -12.4 g/s.m the furnace sedi-

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Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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US4030915A (en) * 1974-11-11 1977-06-21 Outokumpu Oy Process for producing raw copper continuously in one stage from unrefined sulfidic copper concentrate or ore
US4113470A (en) * 1974-07-05 1978-09-12 Outokumpu Oy Process for suspension smelting of finely-divided sulfidic and/or oxidic ores or concentrates
US4139371A (en) * 1974-06-27 1979-02-13 Outokumpu Oy Process and device for suspension smelting of finely divided oxide and/or sulfide ores and concentrates, especially copper and/or nickel concentrates rich in iron
US4344792A (en) * 1980-02-28 1982-08-17 Inco Ltd. Reduction smelting process
US5449395A (en) * 1994-07-18 1995-09-12 Kennecott Corporation Apparatus and process for the production of fire-refined blister copper
US20090226284A1 (en) * 2004-01-15 2009-09-10 Ilkka Kojo Supply system for suspension smelting furnace
US20170191760A1 (en) * 2014-04-11 2017-07-06 Outotec (Finland) Oy Method and arrangement for monitoring performance of a burner of a suspension smelting furnace

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US2209331A (en) * 1936-11-12 1940-07-30 Haglund Ture Robert Roasting process
US2506557A (en) * 1947-04-03 1950-05-02 Bryk Petri Baldur Method for smelting sulfide bearing raw materials
US3306708A (en) * 1959-10-01 1967-02-28 Bryk Petri Baldur Method for obtaining elemental sulphur from pyrite or pyrite concentrates
US3460817A (en) * 1963-09-30 1969-08-12 Geoffrey Joynt Brittingham Furnace for continuous treatment of sulphide copper ores
US3790366A (en) * 1969-01-14 1974-02-05 Outokumpu Oy Method of flash smelting sulfide ores

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US2209331A (en) * 1936-11-12 1940-07-30 Haglund Ture Robert Roasting process
US2506557A (en) * 1947-04-03 1950-05-02 Bryk Petri Baldur Method for smelting sulfide bearing raw materials
US3306708A (en) * 1959-10-01 1967-02-28 Bryk Petri Baldur Method for obtaining elemental sulphur from pyrite or pyrite concentrates
US3460817A (en) * 1963-09-30 1969-08-12 Geoffrey Joynt Brittingham Furnace for continuous treatment of sulphide copper ores
US3790366A (en) * 1969-01-14 1974-02-05 Outokumpu Oy Method of flash smelting sulfide ores

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4139371A (en) * 1974-06-27 1979-02-13 Outokumpu Oy Process and device for suspension smelting of finely divided oxide and/or sulfide ores and concentrates, especially copper and/or nickel concentrates rich in iron
US4113470A (en) * 1974-07-05 1978-09-12 Outokumpu Oy Process for suspension smelting of finely-divided sulfidic and/or oxidic ores or concentrates
US4030915A (en) * 1974-11-11 1977-06-21 Outokumpu Oy Process for producing raw copper continuously in one stage from unrefined sulfidic copper concentrate or ore
US4344792A (en) * 1980-02-28 1982-08-17 Inco Ltd. Reduction smelting process
US5449395A (en) * 1994-07-18 1995-09-12 Kennecott Corporation Apparatus and process for the production of fire-refined blister copper
USRE36598E (en) * 1994-07-18 2000-03-07 Kennecott Holdings Corporation Apparatus and process for the production of fire-refined blister copper
US20090226284A1 (en) * 2004-01-15 2009-09-10 Ilkka Kojo Supply system for suspension smelting furnace
US20110316205A1 (en) * 2004-01-15 2011-12-29 Outotec Oyj Supply system for suspension smelting furnace
US8956564B2 (en) 2004-01-15 2015-02-17 Outotec Oyj Supply system for suspension smelting furnace
US9169537B2 (en) * 2004-01-15 2015-10-27 Outotec Oyj Supply system for suspension smelting furnace
US20170191760A1 (en) * 2014-04-11 2017-07-06 Outotec (Finland) Oy Method and arrangement for monitoring performance of a burner of a suspension smelting furnace
US10209007B2 (en) * 2014-04-11 2019-02-19 Outotec (Finland) Oy Method and arrangement for monitoring performance of a burner of a suspension smelting furnace

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FI48202C (fi) 1974-07-10
FI48202B (fi) 1974-04-01

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